Just received my slippery elm bark powder courtesy of Amazon and now I am a little confused about how much to take. The box suggests making it as a pot of tea and mixing filtered water and powder in a pot, boil and simmer for 20 minutes. However it does not say how much. I dug up this suggestion from InSoFla but it sounds like 3-4 tablespoons of this powder a day would be a lot. I also remember hearing that the slippery elm powder can interfere with medication and I still need to take Colazal 3 times a day.

It seems my entire day revolves around taking meds and natural remedies.

How do I fit in Slippery Elm Bark Powder Tea and how much should I start out with???

BTW---down to 2 formed BMs a day now with less pain. Tapering to 30mg of Prednisone tonight. Feeling better each day! This flare started in December 2012, Peaked January 14th 2012. Been on prednisone for 6 weeks now.Diagnosed with Pancolitis in May of 2005 at age of 33Maintenance Plan: 2 (750mg) Colazal three times a dayVitamin C, Probiotic, Multivitamin, 400mg of Folic AcidTreatment during Flare-Up : Cortifoam, Rowasa Enemas & Prednisone (40mg & taper)Tried Lialda with terrible side effects in Dec 2008- went back to ColazalTried balsalazide disodium Nov2011-led to flare-up-back on ColazalMother of 2

It seems my entire day revolves around taking meds and natural remedies.

Yes, it can get overwhelming.

I take about 1 teaspoon of slippery elm powder in a little water, together with my VSL #3, and you could add a little honey too - after dinner. While I was flaring, I used to take it 3 x per day, after each meal.

I use the capsules but this information in this thread is very helpful in case I want to do the powder!MODERATOR-UC FORUM53, female - diagnosed with ulcerated proctitis/mild colitisCanasa - stopped for nowLialda - once a dayZocor - 40 mgAcidophilusBoniva - once a monthCalcium with Vitamin D GlucosamineMagnesiumHerbs - Valerian - when needed for sleepHorsetail, Stinging Nettle, RedYeastRice, St. John's Wort, Turmeric, Cinnamon, Echinacea

Does slippery elm taste as bad as everyone says? Should I chug it like a shot?

Are the capsules as effective? More expensive?Diagnosed with Pancolitis in May of 2005 at age of 33Maintenance Plan: 2 (750mg) Colazal three times a dayVitamin C, Probiotic, Multivitamin, 400mg of Folic AcidTreatment during Flare-Up : Cortifoam, Rowasa Enemas & Prednisone (40mg & taper)Tried Lialda with terrible side effects in Dec 2008- went back to ColazalTried balsalazide disodium Nov2011-led to flare-up-back on ColazalMother of 2

IMO,no it really doesn't taste as bad as some say. Bottom line is it works!The capsules just aren't as effective because they will not coate your whole alimentary canal, and when they get to your stomach, they'll still need to be broken down by the stomach.Dx - UC 09/2010.Tried various Mesalamine enemas/suppos/pills with Prednisone for several rounds without any help.PaleoDiet of proteins,veggies,salads, fruits, & protein shakes w/almond milk, Liquid Minerals& Vitamins,Maca powder,L-Glutamine 15g, D-Ribose 5g,L-ArgEthylEster,chia seeds,VSL#3,K2,VIt. D3 100,000 IU every 10 days.Transdermal LDN put me remission!

If it's toothick just add more water, stir it and it should be less thick and more drinkable.Dx - UC 09/2010.Tried various Mesalamine enemas/suppos/pills with Prednisone for several rounds without any help.PaleoDiet of proteins,veggies,salads, fruits, & protein shakes w/almond milk, Liquid Minerals& Vitamins,Maca powder,L-Glutamine 15g, D-Ribose 5g,L-ArgEthylEster,chia seeds,VSL#3,K2,VIt. D3 100,000 IU every 10 days.Transdermal LDN put me remission!

Do you think making the tea will be less effective than adding just a little water?Diagnosed with Pancolitis in May of 2005 at age of 33Maintenance Plan: 2 (750mg) Colazal three times a dayVitamin C, Probiotic, Multivitamin, 400mg of Folic AcidTreatment during Flare-Up : Cortifoam, Rowasa Enemas & Prednisone (40mg & taper)Tried Lialda with terrible side effects in Dec 2008- went back to ColazalTried balsalazide disodium Nov2011-led to flare-up-back on ColazalMother of 2

Just a warning flag, UC patients tend to absorb more oxalates and that can lead to kidney stones. Vitamin C is known to be metabolized to oxalates, so if its not needed (as a supplement) I avoid it.Diagnosed March 2007 with left sided UC at the age of 30.Currently on, Colazal 9 daily, Imuran, 200mg daily, Vit. B12, 1mg, Multivitamin, 1 tablet daily, Fish oil 2400mg daily, Vit D 2000 IU daily, Butterbur 150mg daily.

Verapamil 240mg for migraine, Migraine episode now at least twice a month,Ibuprofen 400mg is the only solution (but leads to bleeding). Looking for alternatives.

@ DeltaforceI have a preschooler and a 1 year old so there are so many germs in my household. I just felt the extra vitamin C would give me an extra boost.Will drinking more water help avoid kidney stones?

Do you have a background in chemistry or biology? Did you do this research yourself? Any suggestions for sites or articles I should read?Diagnosed with Pancolitis in May of 2005 at age of 33Maintenance Plan: 2 (750mg) Colazal three times a dayVitamin C, Probiotic, Multivitamin, 400mg of Folic AcidTreatment during Flare-Up : Cortifoam, Rowasa Enemas & Prednisone (40mg & taper)Tried Lialda with terrible side effects in Dec 2008- went back to ColazalTried balsalazide disodium Nov2011-led to flare-up-back on ColazalMother of 2

When I used the caps the label said to swallow with warm water, so I guess warm water helps to thicken it in your stomach. I now use the powder (with no instructions) so you can only play it by ear.

On it's own, it tastes pretty crappy so I put aprox. 2oz of my favorite juice in a glass, add a similar amount of warm water, briskly stir in a heaped teaspoon of elm powder and drink it rightaway before it gets the chance to stiffen up. It will likely turn to a gel once it reaches the stomach. I normally take it mid morning and mid afternoon.

I've been using it for nearly a year and though I haven't had a miraculous run of remission, I don't think it's doing any harm.

In fact I suppose it's helping a bit, as I've never had my permanent flare escalate to a panic level. The powder version is certainly cheaper than the caps, I pay about $30 a pound which seems to go a long way.69m Dx'd may'06 (prob had since'04)Meds:150mg azathioprine-stopped jul28-11Just started 15mg pred sept 14-11 slow taper-stopped jan6-12.05mg Lorazapan occasionaly to help sleepon and off pred over past 5 yrsstarted 25mg MTX and 5mg folic acid (per week) oct15-11

Christine C. Decker, NDIf we find ourselves with a gastrointestinal inflammation, a pudding made from slippery elm bark powder can be very soothing and healing. When mixed with cold water, the powdered bark makes a demulcent, mucilaginous pudding that soothes and coats the digestive tract from fore to aft and is nutritive to its mucosal lining. It's also useful in treating coughs, as it's an antitussive. You can buy sl...ippery elm bark powder in the bulk spices section of the health food store.

To make the pudding: Mix a small amount of the powdered bark with enough cold water to make a thin gruel (the pudding thickens as it cools). Put this mixture in the fridge for a good half hour, where the cold will bring out the demulcent, or "slippery," property of the herb. Note that a little bark goes a long way! The stuff expands, so start with just a little powder as you add water to it. You can make a big batch if you want so you'll have some on hand, and you can store it in the fridge in a glass container. When you're ready to eat it, take out a pudding-sized portion and mix it with an equal part of applesauce. You can use any kind of applesauce, just make sure it doesn't contain sugar. Slippery elm bark pudding has a kind of neutral, grainy taste and is fine plain, but you can also spruce it up if you like by drizzling a little raw honey over it, or sprinkling some cinnamon on it, or doing whatever appeals to you. You can have the pudding as often as you like. Sometimes when one is ill and can take no other food, one can eat a tasty, soothing slippery elm bark pudding.

Other preparations that soothe and heal the GI tract include a tea made from licorice root and/or marshmallow root. You can find these chopped roots in the same bulk herb section of the store, and they work well both together and separately. Just simmer them in some water in a covered pot for 5 minutes or so, let stand away from heat for another 5 or 10 minutes, then strain and drink. Again, you can make up a big batch if you want (just store the tea in glass not plastic) and heat it up as the mood strikes you to have some. Calendula extract, which is so good for burns and cuts and other abrasions, is healing inside as well. Mix it with water and drink. Aloe vera juice, which has similar uses, is another option. And homemade bone broths, rich in healing gelatin and a staple in the traditional diets of virtually all the world's cultures, can be of quite dramatic benefit and can be eaten long-term, on their own with a little salt or as a base for all kinds of soups and stews: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=193145260731247&set=pu.162483673797406&type=1&theater. :o)

I'd take 1 tbsp once a day in a mug of hot water. It is a lot but I think it helped. I took it around my medications and always 2 hours before or after my 6mp.Joanna 22current meds: 50 mg 6mp every other day and remicade.

my goal is to get off 6mp by march and remicade at the end of the year.

I took my first dose of Slippery Elm just a few minutes ago. It tastes like dirt. I mixed 1 tsp with 2 ounces of water. Chugged it like a shot of whiskey. At least it was quick and painless. Prednisone tastes worse.DX: May 2011Current meds: 3 Lialda tabs each morningAlso on Prednisone 40 mg daily since 9/16Prilosec as neededAnd this too shall pass!

ManhattanMama said...@ DeltaforceI have a preschooler and a 1 year old so there are so many germs in my household. I just felt the extra vitamin C would give me an extra boost.Will drinking more water help avoid kidney stones?

Do you have a background in chemistry or biology? Did you do this research yourself? Any suggestions for sites or articles I should read?

It doesn't matter with the germs, actually its a good thing. We have been made germophobe by the industry. I actually learned to be less of a clean freak since my UC diagnosis, as one of the theory of UC says, it could be as a result of your jobless immune system (no proof for this)Drinking water will delay the kidney stones but if you have a tendency, sooner or later, it will be there. My water intake pre and post kidney stones is little over a gallon per day.

My background, I am a pharmacist by training (but never practiced and no one should take my post as a pharmacist's post as my knowledge may not be as updated as a practicing pharmacist) For the articles, I usually read scientific articles that I get from Pubmed, usually popular science is not of my taste (again I work in a academic research so I have access to majority of scientific articles).Diagnosed March 2007 with left sided UC at the age of 30.Currently on, Colazal 9 daily, Imuran, 200mg daily, Vit. B12, 1mg, Multivitamin, 1 tablet daily, Fish oil 2400mg daily, Vit D 2000 IU daily, Butterbur 150mg daily.

Verapamil 240mg for migraine, Migraine episode now at least twice a month,Ibuprofen 400mg is the only solution (but leads to bleeding). Looking for alternatives.

ManhattenMama said...I have a preschooler and a 1 year old so there are so many germs in my household. I just felt the extra vitamin C would give me an extra boost.

Vitamin C is good but the really effective way to avoid colds and flu is to get your blood levels of vitamin D tested. Since staying at optimum levels I have had only one cold in the past 5 years. It is not just me, there are numerous studies showing vitamin D to be helpful for a number of ailments including Crohn's, UC, and even cancer.Male/60 DX ulcerative colitis Feb08, or maybe Crohn's colitis.No Meds, allergic to Mesalamine. Remission since Mar10. Psyllium seed mixed with VSL3 is very helpful. Food journal instead of SCD.

Watch gluten, lots of fruit & vegetables (but no plums or kale), no soda, no HFCS, no xylitol or sorbitol, no trans fat, no shellfish, few processed foods, no carrageenan.Probiotics, fish oil, multivitamin, extra D3, K2, high gamma E, phos choline, magnesium, boswellia, curcumin, glutamine.Nature created all of the locks, therefore Nature has all of the keys

Quite correct, actually we don't talk here about Vitamin A supplementation but recently learned than IBDers also have issues with Vitamin A absorption, so supplementation is recommended (actually for all fat soluble vitamins).

I note in your signature that you take K2, E, magnesium, could you pls comment on the brands you use, Thanks in advance,

Sorry for going off-track but I am watching this thread for comments. Got Slippery Elm 2 days ago but not taking it yet, just want to make sure that I take it correctly so that it doesn't make first wrong impression :)Diagnosed March 2007 with left sided UC at the age of 30.Currently on, Colazal 9 daily, Imuran, 200mg daily, Vit. B12, 1mg, Multivitamin, 1 tablet daily, Fish oil 2400mg daily, Vit D 2000 IU daily, Butterbur 150mg daily.

Verapamil 240mg for migraine, Migraine episode now at least twice a month,Ibuprofen 400mg is the only solution (but leads to bleeding). Looking for alternatives.

I take many more supplements than what is in my signature. I can start another thread about that sometime because I don't want to hijack this thread. It's a long story and is mostly for my general health and not UC specifically.

I had started another thread on daily regiment with medications and supplements. Maybe you could talk more about your supplements and when you take them there. I find this very interesting!

Deltaforce,Thanks for all of your insight! I also got some slippery elm and the box is still sitting next to me. I am now down to 30mg of Prednisone a night and I think that I will wait to take the slippery elm when I taper down a little further.

I got a script for generic Ambien (Zolpidem) but it did diddly. I was still up from 3-6am and feeling wired but exhausted since then. Hoping that tonight will be better. I talk to the GI on Monday about tapering the Prednisone again.

More Vitamin A? Will carrot juice be a good idea?Diagnosed with Pancolitis in May of 2005 at age of 33Maintenance Plan: 2 (750mg) Colazal three times a dayVitamin C, Probiotic, Multivitamin, 400mg of Folic AcidTreatment during Flare-Up : Cortifoam, Rowasa Enemas & Prednisone (40mg & taper)Tried Lialda with terrible side effects in Dec 2008- went back to ColazalTried balsalazide disodium Nov2011-led to flare-up-back on ColazalMother of 2

I've got the slippery elm and have been taking it occasionally but I am paranoid about it blocking the absorption of all my other supps. Is there any merit whatsoever to that claim or is that pure bro-science?41 Year Old Male, married, 2 kids, 3 & 5 yoFirst flare up in 1998, dx 2001, mild UPAsacol for first 10 years, now Lialda 4/day, plus Canasa and Rowasa as needed.Supplements include: Bosswellia, Resveratrol, Fish and Krill Oil, L-Glutamine, Probiotics, Psyllium

Hi--I know this post is old but wondering if you would recommend this ND. Thanks

seasons21 said...This is a thread posted on my old naturopaths FB page:

Christine C. Decker, NDIf we find ourselves with a gastrointestinal inflammation, a pudding made from slippery elm bark powder can be very soothing and healing. When mixed with cold water, the powdered bark makes a demulcent, mucilaginous pudding that soothes and coats the digestive tract from fore to aft and is nutritive to its mucosal lining. It's also useful in treating coughs, as it's an antitussive. You can buy sl...ippery elm bark powder in the bulk spices section of the health food store.

To make the pudding: Mix a small amount of the powdered bark with enough cold water to make a thin gruel (the pudding thickens as it cools). Put this mixture in the fridge for a good half hour, where the cold will bring out the demulcent, or "slippery," property of the herb. Note that a little bark goes a long way! The stuff expands, so start with just a little powder as you add water to it. You can make a big batch if you want so you'll have some on hand, and you can store it in the fridge in a glass container. When you're ready to eat it, take out a pudding-sized portion and mix it with an equal part of applesauce. You can use any kind of applesauce, just make sure it doesn't contain sugar. Slippery elm bark pudding has a kind of neutral, grainy taste and is fine plain, but you can also spruce it up if you like by drizzling a little raw honey over it, or sprinkling some cinnamon on it, or doing whatever appeals to you. You can have the pudding as often as you like. Sometimes when one is ill and can take no other food, one can eat a tasty, soothing slippery elm bark pudding.

Other preparations that soothe and heal the GI tract include a tea made from licorice root and/or marshmallow root. You can find these chopped roots in the same bulk herb section of the store, and they work well both together and separately. Just simmer them in some water in a covered pot for 5 minutes or so, let stand away from heat for another 5 or 10 minutes, then strain and drink. Again, you can make up a big batch if you want (just store the tea in glass not plastic) and heat it up as the mood strikes you to have some. Calendula extract, which is so good for burns and cuts and other abrasions, is healing inside as well. Mix it with water and drink. Aloe vera juice, which has similar uses, is another option. And homemade bone broths, rich in healing gelatin and a staple in the traditional diets of virtually all the world's cultures, can be of quite dramatic benefit and can be eaten long-term, on their own with a little salt or as a base for all kinds of soups and stews: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=193145260731247&set=pu.162483673797406&type=1&theater. :o)